News

The UK’s Outdoor Industries Association (OIA) has announced that Nick Giles OBE, managing director of mapping expert Ordnance Survey’s leisure division, has been appointed its new chair. Nick begins a three-year term as chair of the OIA and replaces Robert Brigham, who served an additional year in his tenure as chair due to the disruption the industry faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Robert will remain on the board.

In his new role, Nick aims to help the industry maximise the opportunities and minimise the challenges currently facing the industry and continue the push for increased interest in outdoor recreation.

Elsewhere on the OIA board, Regatta Group director Joanne Black has stepped down after six years of service and the Regatta place on the board will be taken by Craghoppers brand director James McNamara, who is stepping up from the OIA’s Development Board.  James’s appointment is effective immediately and sees him join senior industry colleagues on the board to help drive the OIA vision to ‘Get Britain Active Outdoors’.

James said: “I’m thrilled to be asked to join the main board and look forward to working with Andrew, Nick and the rest of the team on future initiatives to encourage people to become more active in the outdoors.”